Coal winning apparatus with planer and adjustable height rotary cutter means



1 8 9, 9 E 'L 3B Tn S m A D mmm@ Emmw PT N mm H 5 mmf MWMM Mmw OMRl 4DDA .l .MMF GPG AM 5 GH A N M m vw L A O C sept. 5, 1967 NVENTORS.' GUN THEJ DOMMA/V/V WERN ER MENNEKES United States Patent O 3,339,981 COAL WINNING APPARATUS WITH PLANER AND ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT ROTARY CUT- TER MEANS Gunther Dommann, Wethmar, near Lunen, Westphalia,

and Werner Mennekes, Lunen, Sud, Westphalia, Germany, assignors to Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte West- 4t'alia, Wethmar, near Lunen, Westphalia, Germany, a

corporation Filed May 5, 1965, Ser. No. 453,524 Claims priority, application Germany, May 6, 1964, G 40,539 12 Claims. (Cl. 299-34) l ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coal winning apparatus having a conveyor which is positioned in front of the mine face to transport coal removed therefrom, a planer -guided along the length of the convey-or for removing coal along the lower portion of the mine face, and a rotary cutting machine, also guided along the length of the conveyor to Iremove coal along the upper portion of the mine face up to the roof line. The movement of the rotary cutting machine is inde-pendent of that of the planer, and the cutter tools carried by the rotary c-utting machine are adjustable in elevation to allow operation in mine seams of varying height.

This invention relates in general to mineral winning apparatus and, more particularly to a coal winning apparatus wherein a planer type winning means is driven in guided relation along the coal face side member of a conveyor to remove coal from a mine face along the lower portion thereof, and wherein a rotary winning machine is driven in guided relation to the back face side member of the same conveyor to remove coal from the upper portion of the mine face, said rotary winning machine being of portal-like construction and supported in its movement by both the coal face and back face side members of the conveyor.

According to the invention, an elongated conveyor having a coal face side member and a back -face side member,

-both of which are substantially co-extensive in length with the conveyor, is positioned upon a mine floor and in front of a long wall mine face so that the coal face side member is normally disposed in parallel spaced-apart relation to said mine face, with the back face side member of the conveyor 'being also parallel and spaced apart in relation to the coal tace side member and to the mine tace, but disposed further distant from said mine face.

The removal of coal from the minetace is accomplished by means of a coal planer which is disposed for operative engagement with the mine -face an-d which travels back and forth in relation thereto to remove coal therefrom along a path which extends from the mine iloor line to a selected elevation therea-bove.

The coal planer motion is guided by means of an elongated guide means, ontrack, which is ixedly connected to the coal face side member for normal operation, but to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the coal winning apparatus of the invention, releasable connecting means can be used for accomplishing the tixed connection of this guide means to the coal face side member.

To provide a lbetter guidance of the coal planer and to obtain a better regulation ofthe depth of cut, an elongated lblade'member having a leading edge disposed tor contact with the mine face at the mine door line, and in laterally supported abutting contact with the mine floor, is provided in the coal face guide means, said blade member being connected in fixed relation to the remaining parts of said guide means.

thermore, the conveyor is The depth of cut produced -by the coal planer is estabof the leading edge of the .blade member, and this cutting depth pattern remains substantially constant since the coal planer is in operative guided engagement with the coal face guide means, and with the blade member thereof. The coal face guide means an-d its blade member are `both substantially co-extensive longitudinally with the coal face side member and the conveyor.

A rotary mineral winning machine disposed in 'operative engagement with both the coal face and the back tace side members of the conveyor for relative guided movement therealong, and having at least one rotary cutter disposed for operative engagement with the mine face is provided for removing c-oal therefrom along a second path approximately parallel to the first coal removal path and disposed thereabove. Each of the rotary cutters on the rota-ry winning machine is disposed lfor engagement with the mine face at a selected distance behind the positions of engagement therewith of the planing cutters.

In accordance with the invention, independent means for moving the planer relative to the coal face guide means and means for moving the rotary winning machine relative to both the coal face and the back face side members of the conveyor are provided.

It is generally known in the coal winning machinery art, to car-ry two coal winnin-g machines along a long wall conveyor designed as a stud link chain 'drive conveyor, and wherein the coal planer winning machine slides along the coal face side of the conveyor and is provided with a keel plate extending .beneath the conveyor to assure its intended guidance. In such prior art coal winning machines, as the coal planer travels back and forth, it lifts the conveyor on each pass by the thickness of the keel plate, after which the conveyor drops back onto the -lloor behind the planer. The second winning machine is carried on top of the conveyor and is constructed as a portal-like rotary coal winning machine and normally has rotary cuttingV tools extending as high as the mine roof line. The simultaneous operation of two such coal winning machines creates considerable idifiiculties because, since the conveyor is lifted each time that the coal planer p-asses, the lrotary winning machine has to be disengaged from the wall suiiiciently in advance of the passage 'of the coal planer. This is troublesome enough when the rotary cutting tools are 4being used` normally, but is especially troublesome when they are lbeing used to cut the coal all the way up to the roof line. In the iirst case, there is the problem as to whether the rotary cutting tools can work themselves tree fast enough when the conveyor is lifted as the coal planer keel plate passes under it, but when the rotary cutters extend all theway to the roof, it is necessary to shut down either the paratus. This is particularly true when the pulling chains are carried only on one side of the conveyor. Due to the heavy jolting that takes place between the individual sections of the conveyor as a result of the chain tensions, the conveyor sections are subjected to very great wear, especially at the points where their lateral members meet.

This invention is directed at solving the problem, on the one hand, of constructing a winning apparatus as a Whole so that the two winning devices carried on the conveyor can operate entirely independently of one another so that in no case will it be necessary to shut down one in order to permit the other to make a cutting pass. Furto be stressed as uniformly as possible on both of its sides.

To achieve this objective, the invention first proposes to construct the rotary cutting system in such a manner that it never reaches into the path of movement of the coal planer, and that the coal planer in turn is carried only on the coal-face side of the conveyor, and does not carry any member which reaches under or over the conveyor, but rather is guided on a specially shaped rail-like guide means made up of a plurality of individual sections, and having a blade member with a leading edge that rests constantly on the mine lioor `and against the coal face at the mine oor line, this blade member at the same time serving as a 'slide track for supporting the coal planer, while at the same time the coal planer is so held and guided by the guide rail means that it cannot separate itself from the conveyor nor tilt nor twist in any way relative to the guide rail.

It is expedient for both of the winning machines to be provided with guide members which engage into a chain passageway, the two passageways being disposed separately from one another on the two sides of the conveyor, and being dual passageways, so as to carry both the slack and the taut sides of the chains.

In accordance with the invention, it is preferable to fasten and arrange the members that form the chain passageways on each of the two sides of the conveyor in such a manner that they can be removed. This simplifies their manufacture, and furthermore makes it possible to replace the chain channels or parts thereof separately from the individual links of the conveyor.

It is therefore, an object of the invention to provide a mineral winning apparatus particularly suited for the winning of coal from a long wall mining face.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coal winning `apparatus as aforesaid wherein a coal planer winning -means is used to accomplish coal removal along the lower portion of the mine face, and a rotary winning machine is used to remove coal along the upper portions of the mine face.

A further yobject of the invention is to provide a coal winning apparatus as aforesaid wherein the coal planer and rotary winning means are independently operable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coal winning apparatus as aforesaid wherein the coal planer Iand rotary winning means are movably guided in fixed relation to an associated conveyor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coal winning apparatus as aforesaid wherein the independent movements of the coal planer and rotary winning means Iare guided by guide means affixed to separate side members of the conveyor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coal winning apparatus as .aforesaid wherein the coal planer and rotary winning means are driven by separate endless drive chains which are disposed within separate guide member passages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coal winning apparatus as aforesaid wherein the coal planer is carried in a guide means which effectively prevents said coal planer from twisting or tilting in relation to the conveyor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coal winning apparatus as aforesaid wherein the load forces exerted on the conveyor as a result of the relative movement of the coal planer and rotary winning means are borne equally between the two side members of the conveyor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coal winning apparatus `as aforesaid wherein the guide means for the coal planer includes means for regulating the depth of cut which is produced by said coal planer.

Still another and further object of the invention is to provide a coal winning apparatus as aforesaid wherein the movement of the coal planer is accomplished without any lifting of the conveyor and/or the rotary win ning means.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become `apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view, partly in section, of a coal winning apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. l, which exemplifies a coal winning apparatus A having an elongated conveyor 10 which is adapted to be positioned in front of a mine face F and upon a mine floor G, the conveyor 10 is provided with two elongated lateral members 11 and 12 which are `oppositely disposed in spaced-apart relation to each other, and are connected together by the oor 13 of the conveyor 10. These side members 11 and 12 are substantially coextensive in length with the conveyor 10. The coal face side member 11 is normally disposed in spaced-apart parallel relation to the mine face F, as is the back face side member 12, but said back face side member 12 is further distant from the mine face F.

For the sake of simplification, the drag chain that performs the actual conveying of the won coal in the conveyor 10 is not shown in the drawing.

A coal planer 14 is provided for removing coal from the mine face F along a path thereon which extends in elevation from the mine floor line up to a selected elevation thereon which is determined by the position of the uppermost planing cutter C carried by said coal planer 14. The coal planer 14 is disposed in operative guided engagement with an elongated guide rail 15 which is ixedly, but preferably releasably connected to the coal face side member 11.

The guide rail 15 is provided with an elongated blade member 16 having a leading edge disposed for contact with the mine face F and in supported abutting contact with the mine floor G. The coal planer 14 is also in operative guided engagement with this blade member 16, which serves as a means for regulating the depth of cut produced by the planing cutters C.

'[lhese individual planing cutters C carried by the coal planer 14 are disposed at selected distances forward of the leading edge of the blade member 16 to produce corresponding depths of cut into the mine face F when the coal planer 14 is moved along the guide rail 15' for coal removal along said first path.

The guide rail 15 lies with the free leading edge of its blade member 16 against the coal `face F while the coal planer 14 during each of its movement passes scrapes from the coal face F a layer of coal which is equal in depth to the distance by which the cutters C on the coal planer 14 extend beyond the leading edge of the blade member 16. Thus, the guide rail 15 and blade member assembly 16, which are substantially co-extensive in length with the conveyor 10 and its side members 11 and 12, is so constructed that it serves as a support means for the coal planer 14 which slides along said guide rail 15 and blade member 16.

The guide rail 15 is furthermore constructed so as to envelope two passageways 17 and 18.

The passageway 17 is provided with a longitudinal slot 19 to which a guide member 20 which is fixedly connected, and preferably integrally constructed with the coal planer 14, extends so as to be slidably movable within said passageway 17. The guide member 20 is operatively connected to the taut side portion 21 of an endless drive chain 'D1 for moving the coal planer 14 relative to the guide rail 15 and mine face F. The slack portion 22 of the drive chain D1 is carried in the fully enclosed passageway 18.

The guide rail 15 and its atixed blade memberA 16 are lixedly and preferably releasably connected to the coal face side member 11 for guiding the movement of the coal planer 14 in such a manner that the coal planer 14 cannot separate itself from the conveyor 10, and that it cannot twist in any direction or tilt relative to the guide rail 15 and blade member 16.

On the top of the conveyor and upon the upper portions of theV side members 11 and 12, there is carried a second winning machine, which in the embodiment shown is a rotary coal cutting machine 23 which spans the conveyor 10 portal-wise. The rotary winning machine 23 is disposed in operative engagement with the side members 11 and 12 for guided movement therealong, and is provided with two rotary cutters 24 disposed for operative engagement with the mine face --F to remove coal therefrom along a second path approximately parallel to the first coal removal path produced by the coal planer 14, said second path being disposed in elevation above said first path, with each of said rotary cutters 24 being disposed for engagement with the mine face F at a selected distance behind the positions of engagement therewith of said planing cutters C. The rotary cutters 24 are each mounted on a revolving arbor 25 which in turn is mounted upon a pivoting support arm 26 in such a manner that the rotary cutters 24 can be raised and lowered in elevation relative to the coal removal path produced by the coal planer 14 by means of a hydraulic cylinder 26', in order to cut the coal all the Way up to the roof insofar as possible.

A suitable power transmission means (not shown) is provided for driving the rotary cutter 24 support arbors by means of a motor 27.

The rotary winning machine 23 is pulled back and forth along the long wall mine face F by means of an endless drive chain D2, the taut portion 28 of which is operatively connected to the rotary winning machine 23. This operative connection of the chain portion 28 is accomplished by fastening said chain portion 28 to both ends of a 'bar-like guide member 29 which is carried in a passageway 31 of a guide track T which is disposed on the back face side of the conveyor 10 and is fxedly but preferably releasably connected to the side member 12. As in the case of the guide rail 15, the guide track T is substantially longitudinally co-extensive with the side member 12. Passageway 31 has a longitudinal slot 32 through which the connecting members K of the winning machine 23 extend for fastening to the guide member 29.

The slack portion 33 of the Idrive chain D2 is carried in a lower passageway 34 provided in said guide track T.

The passageways 29 and 34 are formed by specially shaped channel members 35, which are fxedly but removably fastened to the side member 12 of the conveyor 10. To the outer channel 35, there is fastened another plate-like member 36 which bears on its upper edge a channel member 37 which provides a passage for power supply cables 38, which are connected between a stationary terminal (not shown) through the cable-carrying chain 39 to the shuttling rotary coal winning machine v23.

Furthermore, in accordance with the invention, the rotary winning machine 23;y has no parts which extend into the path of movement of the coal planer 14. In the embodiment illustrated, accordingly both the coal planer 14 and the rotary coal winning machine 23 can be moved 'back and forth over the entire length of the conveyor 10 completely independently of one another. There is no need to lower the rotary cutters 24 when the coal planer 14 makes a coal removal pass along the mine face F, since the coal planer 14 does not lift the conveyor 10 as it travels as do certain nrior art coal winning annaratus.

What is claimed is:

1. A mineral winning apparatus which comprises an elongated conveyor means adapted to be positioned in front of the mine face and upon a mine floor, said conveyor means having a first elongated side member normally disposed in parallel spaced-apart relation to the mine face, and a second elongated side member disposed in opposite spaced-apart relation to said first side member and further distant from the mine face, said first and second side members being substantially co-extensive in length with said conveyor means, an elongated first guide means operatively connected in fixed relation tc said first side member and substantially co-extensive in length therewith, said first guide means including an elongated blade member having a leading edge disposed for contact with the mine face and in supported abutting contact With the mine floor, said blade member being substantially co-extensive in length with said first guide means, a mineral planer means in operative engagement with said first guide means and with said blade member thereof for guided movement in a first path along the mine face to remove mineral therefrom along a first path extending from the mine floor line to a selected elevation line thereabove, said mineral planer means having a plurality of planing cutters with cutting edges disposed at selected distances forward of the leading edge of said blade member to produce a corresponding depth of cut into the mine face along said first path, a rotary mineral winning means disposed in operative engagement with said first and second side members of said conveyor means for guided movement therealong, said rotary mineral winning means having a rotary cutter with cutting parts extending toward the mine face for extractive engagement therewith at a selected distance behind the foremost cutting edge of the cutters of said mineral planer means to remove mineral from the mine face along a second path approximately parallel to said first mineral removal path and disposed thereabove, said rotary cutter being adjustable in elevation with respect to the conveyor means and the mine fioor to selectively vary the elevation of said second mineral removal path, means for moving said mineral planer means relative to said first guide means and in operative guided engagement therewith to remove mineral from the mine face along said first path, and means for moving said rotary mineral winning means relative to said first and second side members and in operative guided engagement therewith to remove mineral from the mine face along said second path.

2. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for moving said mineral planer means and the means for moving said rotary mineral winning means are independently driven means whereby the movement of said mineral planer means relative to said first guide means is independent of the movement of said rotary mineral winning means to provide correspondingly respective independent mineral removal along said first and second paths.

3. The mineral planing apparatus according to claim 1 including means for fixedly connecting said blade member to said first guide means along their mutually coextensive lengths, and means for fxedly connecting said first guide means to said first side member of the conveyor means along their mutually co-extensive lengths.

4. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 1 including a second elongated guide means fxedly connected to said second side member and substantially longitudinally co-extensive therewith, and a guide member fixedly connected to said rotary mineral winning means and disposed in loperative engagement with said second guide means to guide the movement of said rotary mineral winning means along said first and second side members for mineral removal along said second path.

5. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 1 including means defining a l-ongtudinally extending passageway in said first guide means, and wherein the means for moving said mineral planer means relative to said first guide means includes and endless drive chain disposed within said passage and operatively connected to said mineral planer means for moving same relative to said rst guide means for mineral removal along said first path.

6. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 1 including la second elongated guide means fxedly connected to said second side member and substantially longitudinally co-extensive therewith, means defining a longitudinally extending passage in said first guide means, means defining a longitudinally extending passage in said second guide means, and wherein the means for moving said mineral planer means relative to said first guide means includes a first endless drive chain disposed within said passage in said first guide means, said first endless drive chain being operatively connected to said mineral planer means for moving same relative to said first guide means for mineral removal along said first path, and wherein said means for moving said rotary winning means relative to said second guide means and said first and second side members includes a second endless drive chain disposed Within said passage in said second guide mean, said second drive chain being -operatively connected to said rotary mineral winning means for moving same relative to said second guide means and said first and second side members for mineral removal along said second path.

7. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 4 incluuding means defining a longitudinally extending passage in said second guide means, and wherein the means for moving said rotary winning means relative to said first and second side members includes an endless drive chain disposed within said passage and operatively connected to said rotary mineral winning means for moving same relative to said second guide means and said first and second side members for mineral removal along said second path.

8. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 5 including a guide member fixedly connected to said mineral planer means and disposed in operative engagement with said first guide means, said guide member extending into said longitudinal passage in said first guide means and operatively connected to said endless drive chain disposed therein to move said mineral planer means relative to said first guide means for mineral removal along said first path.

9. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 6 including a first guide member fixedly connected to said mineral planer means and disposed in operative engagement with said first guide means, said first guide member extending into said longitudinal passage in said first guide means and being operatively connected to said first endless drive chain, and a second guide member fixedly connected to said rotary mineral winning means and disposed in operative engagement with said second guide means, said second guide member extending into said longitudinal passage in said second guide means and being operatively connected to said second endless drive chain, whereby said mineral planer means is movable relative to said first guide means by said first endless drive chain for mineral removal along said first path, and said rotary winning means is movable relative to said second guide means and said first and second side members for mineral removal along said second path.

l0. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 6 including means for releasably fastening said first guide means to said first side member and means for releasably fastening said second guide means to said second side member.

11. The mineral winning apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the endless drive chain disposed within said longitudinal passage in said second guide means is operatively connected to said guide member to move said rotary mineral winning means relative to said second guide means and first and second side members for mineral removal along said second path.

12. A mineral winning apparatus which comprises an elongated conveyor means adaptede to be positioned in front of a mine face and upon a mine fioor, a first elongated guide means connected to the mine face side of said conveyor means for extension therealong, a second elongated guide means connected to the side of said conveyor means remote from the mine face for extension therealong, a mineral planer means disposed for movement along the length of the mine face in guided engagement with said first guide means to remove mineral from the mine face along a path extending from the mine oor line to a selected elevation line therabove, and a rotary cutting mineral winning means disposed for movement in generally parallel relation to the mine face above said conveyor means and supported thereby in guided engagement with said second guide means to remove mineral from the mine face along a path extending above that produced by said planer means, said rotary cutting mineral winning means being disposed for independent movement with respect to said planer means and having a rotatable cutter with cutting parts extending toward the mine face for extractive engagemnet therewith to remove mineral therefrom, said rotatable cutter being adjustable in elevation with respect to said conveyor means and the mine fioor to selectively vary the elevation of the mineral removal path produced by its cutting parts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,105,505 1/1938 Ramsey 299-44 X 3,285,662 11/1966 Lobbe 299-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 647,873 12/ 1950 Great Britain.

879,923 10/1961 Great Britain.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

12. A MINERAL WINNING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES AN ELONGATED CONVEYOR MEANS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN FRONT OF A MINE FACE AND UPON A MINE FLOOR, A FIRST ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE MINE FACE SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS FOR EXTENSION THEREALONG, A SECOND ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS REMOTE FROM THE MINE FACE FOR EXTENSION THEREALONG, A MINERAL PLANER MEANS DISPOSED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE MINE FACE IN GUIDED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST GUIDE MEANS TO REMOVE MINERAL FROM THE MINE FACE ALONG A PATH EXTENDING FROM THE MINE FLOOR LINE TO A SELECTED ELEVATION LINE THERABOVE, AND A ROTARY CUTTING MINERAL WINNING MEANS DISPOSED FOR MOVEMENT IN GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO THE MINE FACE ABOVE SAID CONVEYOR MEANS AND SUPPORTED THEREBY IN GUIDED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND GUIDE MEANS TO REMOVE MINERAL FROM THE MINE FACE ALONG A PATH EXTENDING ABOVE THAT PRODUCED BY SAID PLANER MEANS, SAID ROTARY CUTTING MINERAL WINNING MEANS BEING DISPOSED FOR INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT 